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Having followed AMA Flat Track, AMA Road Racing, WERA & various other series since the early to mid '70s, the adrenaline-fed rush still lives on.
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Thursday, April 24, 2014

The opening round of the 2014 Endurance World Championship got underway today with the Honda Racing team qualifying in provisional pole position for the Bol d’Or 24-hour race, which will begin at 15.00 CEST this Saturday.

The first of two qualifying sessions took place in warm and sunny conditions this afternoon with the all-new Honda Racing rider line-up of Julien Da Costa, Freddy Foray and Sebastien Gimbert each completing a 20-minute stint aboard the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP.

Da Costa and Foray were second quickest in their respective sessions, while Gimbert topped the timesheet in his. Da Costa was the fastest rider of the Honda Racing trio with a time of 1:40.382. The combined average of all three riders’ lap times (1:40.802) places the team on provisional pole.

Reserve rider Jason O’Halloran also completed a session today as part of the team’s fuel strategy development. The riders will now take part in night practice this evening before the second qualifying sessions tomorrow afternoon.

Neil Tuxworth

team manager

To achieve provisional pole position at the first round of the championship shows both the effort the team have made over the winter to prepare the machine and the calibre of the riders we have competing for us this year. It’s not a done deal yet as we still have another session tomorrow, but it’s a great way to start the weekend.

Julien Da Costa

1:40.382

We didn’t expect to get pole position to be honest as we were working on race set-up so it’s a nice surprise. It’s a good opportunity to show how well the team is working together and we hope we can continue this and convert it into a podium on Sunday.

Freddy Foray

1:41.324

It is pretty good to have the pole position at this stage. I’m happy with my times, particularly with my physical condition caused by a crash I had at Brands Hatch last weekend. Now I need get the maximum amount of rest before the race to ensure I’m ready.

Sebastien Gimbert

1:40.702

I am happy with today. A 24-hour race is never easy and pole position does not mean so much, but I’m happy for Honda, for the team and for my team-mates because it was important to us to start well. For me, the biggest step we’ve made is with the bike. It is so easy to ride and it's fast. I did my best lap on a race tyre. As I say, you can be in pole position and not finish, but we have done a good job.

Indy Eagle Creek Airport Weather

U.S. EST/GMT -05

Indianapolis

The King

The 4-1-1

Fan of all racing, but the bikes are what makes the adrenaline flow and the rush set in.
In what started as an attempt to share and scrapbook my racing catalog, I have since streamlined my coverage to give a more updated and behind the scenes look at motorcycle racing from the eye of my camera and from my perspective as a long-time fan.
So stay tuned for coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track and Road Racing, along with some of the other series that showcase the great sport of 2-wheeled high speed racing!
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